We all know that moving is a stressful experience. Between the stress (or fun, depending on how you look at it) of selling your home in the first place, then packing, moving and starting over all over again in a new home, you're apt to want things to get a little easier.

Most of my clients use moving companies to help them with the move - whether it is just to physically move their belongings, or also to do all the packing, too. (I must admit, I've used the movers to also do my packing the last few times I've moved. It makes it such an easier experience.)

With my last move, besides everything showing up a few days late, about 1/3 of our belongings were broken - many of them crushed. Why not? Let's add a little more stress!

For some reason, with this move, I purchased additional insurance, which I usually decline. While they denied some items (like the couch that was literally crushed so that when sitting on it, you sank to the floor) they did compensate us for many other items. I forget the total amount, but I believe we received around $8,000 from the insurance company to compensate us for the damages. Then we went shopping!

If you're planning a move any time soon, take a look and read some of these horror stories. Prepare yourself with the knowledge necessary to avoid similar situations. And, as I now recommend to my clients, if you're using a moving company consider either a reputable national company or one that comes very highly recommended from a friend.